


Retracing something deep

by rosegoldmist



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Just Newt and Thomas falling in love and making their friend frustrated by how blind they can get, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Minho, Slow Burn, This is going to be slow, bare with me, friends support each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-04-30 11:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14495871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosegoldmist/pseuds/rosegoldmist
Summary: The one where Newt and Minho can read each others minds and the latter is getting tired of all the pining he has to endure





	1. Newcomer

It was a bright day like any other when the Greenie came up, and Minho was okay with it, not happy about it but okay nonetheless. Running through the maze was always hard but it was better that it was sunny and he could see where his feet were going even if everyday felt the same. Deep down, he knew he would rather have rain to cleanse himself from the drops of sweat sliding down his back, but there wasn't much he could do about it. At this point does he even remember how the rain feels like? It's strange, missing something you don't have any memories of living.

As he gets ready to leave the Homestead he hears a distinctive voice on his mind " _The box is coming up, hurry up shuck-face_ ". He doesn't dignify the voice with an answer. Doesn't think he needs to, anyway. The rest of the boys are already surrounding the pit and making a big fuss about it when he gets to them, he catches Newt's eyes and nods, acknowledging his presence. He knows his friend won't say it, but he always worries that one day he won't come back so he always makes sure to say goodbye and let him know when he returns. That's just something that comes along with being a runner.

The elevator comes to a stop and the air around them gets even more restless, he never gets why anyone would get excited about another poor shank getting stuck in the Glade but it sure helps knowing you're not alone here, he guesses.

It gets silent then, as they help him with the rope. Alby welcomes him and he gets to see the greenie for the first time. The boy looks disorientated and extremely confused, close to either throwing up or crying, but that's nothing new. He crosses his arms as he stares and notices a particular glint in his eyes that he knows very well.  _"A curious one"_ , even when scared shitless. That's more of a runner's trait than a sloppers, but he doesn't comment on it or gets his hopes up. There's still time to see if he's got what it needs.

" _A scared one, you mean_ " Newt notices as the Greenie turns away from their leader when he starts talking to the frightened boy.

It still surprises him when he hears his friend interrupting his thoughts, even after all this time. He huffs,  _maybe not so much of a runner_. He needs to remember not to get too ahead of himself sometimes.

After that the blond intervenes, just before it's too late and the older male makes the newcomer run away screaming. It's not always like this, but most of the time it is. Minho decides that enough is enough and reunites with the rest of the runners. He still has to trace a route of the maze today and his body is aching to move and do something, anything that might help them get the shuck out of here.

Five hours later he finds himself starting to get tired, still tracking every step he's taken, but knowing is useless, there isn't a single thing that could work that he already haven't tried. Or that any of the gladers haven't tried for that matter. It weighs him down, knowing almost for certain that unless a miracle occurs, they are trapped here forever. He thinks about what a home would feel like, about the rain and freedom and maybe even a family. He's long ago given up on that idea, though. If he ever had a family, they must have already stopped waiting for him.

Still, he runs, and keeps running. Just like the day before and every day after. They make it just in time, as planned.

When his head finally hits a bed after a cold shower, he doesn't want to overthink anymore, but that's too much to ask when you have Newt for a friend.

_"Did you find anything today?"_  Is more of a habit than an actual question, he knows that. Every night they have the same conversation, in a way is like saying goodnight. A weird way to do so, but who can blame them.

_"Nothing in particular. How's the greenie?"_  he asks him back just to change the topic, not really interested in the guy.

_"Let me tell ya, you were right about that shank."_  there's something like amusement in his tone and it makes him feel confused for a moment.

_"I'm always right. But what is it this time?"_. Minho doesn't need to be right next to him to know the other's rolling his eyes at him. Whatever.  _"He came up when Ben was going through the changing. Scared himself to death, that's for sure"_. He can't help but snort,  _"Getting into trouble already? I still don't get what I was right about"_.

_"He's too curious for his own good"._ He states and Minho sighs in understanding, he was like that too after all. They don't say anything else after that, probably figuring out that is indeed too late to be awake when they have an early day tomorrow. They can get away with extra hours of sleep when the box comes up, but that doesn't mean that they will have the same luck anytime soon.

The first thing he hears just at the start of the next morning has him smiling.

_"I like him"_. It's Newt's voice and for once he doesn't seem aware of the fact that he's sending a message to Minho or the fact that it sounds more sincere than anything he's thought for a long while. He doesn't say anything, knowing without asking that he probably means the greenie.  _I guess I'll keep an eye on him, If Newt likes him it means he's a good shank_. It's a good thing that he's making a new friend, considering that he maintains a good relationship with everyone around the Glade but doesn't let people get too close.

_Hopefully they will become close_ , he thinks. And sooner rather than later he ends up regretting ever thinking this.


	2. Alarm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After today, Minho is never going to think about anything quiet as calming again.

Waking up before the sun rises is not something that most people would find comfort in, but Minho does. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that everything is quiet, motionless. The Glade always looks better in the early hours when no movement can disturb his state of mind, so even if he isn't one for poetics, he can appreciate how pleasant the sight is.

He almost never runs into anyone before going into the maze except on his way to the kitchen, where Frypan fills him with just enough provisions to endure the hours away, and today is no different. Being completely honest, there's nothing that makes today different from any other day. So why is it that when he comes back everything is such a mess.

It doesn't sit well with him to come back to a such a tense atmosphere. Usually when he comes back, he goes straight to the map room with the few runners that are still on his feet, but he doesn't even get the chance to breathe before he hears someone calling his name in the distance.

Newt's disbelief was clear in his tone when he approached the doors. "Bloody hell, Minho. You have no idea what you missed while you were away".

Confused at the disheveled appearance of his friend, he frowns and turns to make an indistinct movement with his hand signaling the other runners to go ahead.

"Well, I ain't going to find out if someone doesn't tell me," he replies in an annoyed tone to mask his worry, partly because something  _happened_  when he wasn't around, but mostly because Newt was practically buzzing with this strange energy and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"There's no time for that, there's a Gathering starting right now. We were waiting for you".

"A Gathering? I didn't miss anything this morning, right?" he asks as he tries to come up with anything that might explain this weird attitude. "If I didn't know you better I would think you're excited about this," he mumbles as he follows the other, wondering what is so urgent that it couldn't wait until after he finished mapping.

The second in command doesn't acknowledge him as they walk into the building, the rest of the keepers are already waiting for them in complete silence. The situation makes him feel uneasy, but he doesn't have much of a choice, he has to wait to hear what Alby has to say before asking any questions, so he takes a seat next to Winston, hoping they stop being so ominous about it.

"So I'm guessing y'all know about the girl by now" He starts with a deep voice, bringing sound to an otherwise silent place. Never again is he going to think about anything this quiet as calming, this is another level of disturbing.

 _"A girl?! Newt, what the shuck is he talking about?"_  he turns to stare at the blond, his surprise evident by the way his eyes widen. This is probably the most confused he's been since he lost all of his memories. The other just half smiles for an infinitesimal moment, not even looking at him or dignifying him with a telepathic answer of some sort.

 _"Is this what you were so excited about?"_ , he barely hears their leader stating some very clear rules about not touching, seeing or breathing around the girl and threatening them with throwing them off the Cliff. It's not something that should be said, but he can't speak for all the gladers when he says that they are more than capable of respecting other people's boundaries.

 _"Listen to Alby, you shank. You're missing the important part"_  he reprimands him. He snorts, typical Newt.

 _"There's something else besides two greenies in the span of two days and a shucking girl at that?"_. Right now he's more curious about that than anything else, but since it seems like he's being ignored, he turns his attention back to whatever they're saying.

"... It's still unclear as to what the message is implying" he continues and his voice turns somber, "but we ain't going to jump to conclusions just yet so if any of you has something to say in the matter do it now".

Gally, who looks ready to jump out of his seat at any moment is the first to talk. "The klunk-head is obviously responsible for this," he says, but is interrupted before he can continue.

"Slim it, Gally. He said he didn't recognise her," he hears Zart say from the corner of the room.

 _"Who are they even talking about? And what message?"_. Being so lost was something he strictly avoided being a keeper of the runners and now more than ever he feels like he's trying to decipher something stupidly complex, maze-level of stupidly complex.

 _"She's the last one. The girl had a note in her hand and Gally seems set on Tommy being responsible somehow for all of the weird klunk that is happening around the Glade"_.

 _"Tommy?_ ". The name doesn't ring a bell, and even if it did, it wouldn't help him understand anything more than what he already does. His head is trying to keep up with the news and for a moment is a little bit too much. Minho takes a deep breath and lets the information run through his mind without judging or forcing his own opinion on it.

 _"The greenie. Brown hair, doe eyes, about your height"_. He almost chokes on nothing, Newt never describes anyone as anything other than an ugly-shank so this seems very telling. It also seems like he can't keep the amusement from showing on his face because a second later his friend is frowning at him.  _"What are you getting so smug about?"_  he asks him with a sarcastic tone, and this time, Minho is the one who doesn't bother with an answer.

Apparently the chatter is going back to his normal levels of loudness because Alby decides in that moment that this is enough for tonight. "Alright shanks, that's it. Unless someone comes up with something smart to say we continue as normal for as long as we can" He concludes, "Good that?" he says more than asks, but most of them are agreeing with him anyway. He nods in his general direction and turns to leave, waiting by the door for Newt.

As the taller boy exits, he turns to look at Minho knowing there's something on his mind, "Next time something like this happens you tell me right away, shuck-face" he says without any real anger behind his words.

Newt has the audacity to laugh in his face, "Will do, shank" he says with a smirk, but quickly returns to a more serious expression. "So? Are you not worried about this?".

At this point he just shrugs, "Not all change is good or bad on its own". It's obvious that the other wants to ask him more questions about what he thinks, but this is all he's getting from Minho today. Is what he deserves for not telling him everything right away.

Most people around here think that Minho doesn't share his opinion with anyone and they would be right if it wasn't for this mind-reading thing they got going, to be honest. Not like anyone else knows, he's not crazy enough to bring it up with the rest. What a wreck that would be.

That night when he goes to sleep he swears he hears a scream in the direction of the Deadheads but he decides to ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you if you've read this far,  
> It means a lot to me!
> 
> Now I'm thinking this is going to be a lot longer than what I originally anticipated  
> But Minho is finally meeting Thomas in the next chapter, so there's that!


	3. First impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This is Newt’s Tommy then"

_Thud, thud. Thud, thud._ He hears his heartbeat faintly with every step he takes, a ringing in his ear letting him know he might pass out at any moment now. _Maybe I overdid it_ , he thinks with sarcasm. It’s too late to regret it anyway and he’s already so close to the doors that he can’t just stop now. The exhaustion is going to kick in the moment he stops running, he knows this with as much certainty as he knows the maze, which is to say, like the back of his hand.

 _“Honey, I’m back”_  He sends a teasing message to his friend just before face planting into the ground, Minho hopes the other appreciates his sense of humor even when he’s this close to losing consciousness.  He can hear the other losing his klunk and calling him all kinds of nice names in his head, he decides to let the insults lull him as he pants on the grass. He wonders if Newt will give him shit for coming back so early.

A moment later he hears someone shouting in panic, wonders why he can’t ever have a moment of peace.

“Hey, you okay?” the panicked voice asks him much closer than what he expected. He doesn’t look up, his head resting on his arms as he tries to bring his breathing back to normal.

“I’m… fine” he tries to answer in one go but fails terribly, his throat feels scratchy. It’s odd, but he doesn’t recognise the voice that’s talking to him. When he looks up he finds himself looking at a stranger, maybe he’s more tired than he thought because he can’t figure out for the life of him if he’s ever seen this guy before, “Who the klunk are you?”

“I’m new here” he says uncertainly, like he’s trying to explain himself. “I’m Thomas, been here just a couple of days.”

 _Ah, that explains it. This is Newt’s Tommy then._ Minho remembers seeing him out of the box. He pushes himself up despite his muscles protesting, even if it’s only to sit and stop the greenie from looking so worried about him. He can’t look that bad, right? But then he realises he’s sweating a lot, it’s disgusting. “Oh, yeah, Thomas” he finally answers as the other keeps staring at him, “Newbie. You and the chick”.

He can see the other’s surprise at being recognized, and from the corner of his eye he sees Alby running their way, clearly anxious about seeing him. “What’re you doin’ back, Minho? What happened?”

There’s no use on panicking right now so he lets him know just that. “Calm your wad, Alby” he says with a sigh. “Make yourself useful and get me some water. I dropped my pack out there somewhere.”

When the other doesn’t move he starts getting annoyed, he doesn’t have time for this klunk. “What _happened?_ ” Alby asks him after kicking his leg and that’s just what makes him snap.

“I can barely talk, shuck-face!” he surprises the other by yelling, “Get me some water!”

The older smiles at him for a moment but then glares back at Thomas, as if trying to appease him from acting the same way Minho is with him, probably remembering he’s supposed to act like an authority around the newbie. _Too late,_ he thinks. Even if it's hilarious that anyone thinks of Alby as intimidating he isn’t going to act any different with the Greenie. He hears Alby threatening, _like always_ , to kick someone off the Cliff; in this case Thomas. Then he runs off and Minho sighs again, he _really_ is exhausted.

“He lets you boss him around?” he looks so confused as he asks him that he almost laughs in his face but he stops himself just in time. He shrugs, the sweat still running down his neck, forehead… everywhere, really. It’s bothering him more and more by the second. “You scared of that pip-squeak? Dude, you got a lot to learn. Freakin’ Newbies”.

The younger looks taken aback and asks him about Alby being the leader. He can see why Newt likes him, he’s always been a little overprotective of kids like him.

“Leader?” _As if_ . “Yeah, call him leader all you want. Maybe we should call him _El Presidente._ Nah, nah... Admiral Alby. There you go” he’s mostly messing around with him but who can blame him when the other makes it so easy for him.

Thomas keeps asking him questions that even if he was in the right mind to speak he wouldn’t bother answering. _Hadn’t Newt already explained him how things work around here? why does he keep making so many questions?_ He can’t know for sure but his head is spinning, he hums in annoyance.

“What do you expect us to do?” and now the Greenie’s getting angry, he realises that maybe he’s thinking out loud. And maybe Thomas has more of a temper than he thought.

“Do what you’re told, keep your mouth shut. That’s what I expect.” He looks at him then, still evaluating if this guy could be a runner as he first thought or not. As the other withdraws, he remains undecided.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what you did as a newbie.” Thomas says, tense and ready for a fight he can’t win.

There’s something about him that makes him think he could someday though, a _hunch_ , even if he isn’t entirely sure yet. He looks at Thomas thoroughly, assessing his movements and behaviour. “I was one of the first Gladers, slinthead. Shut your hole till you know what you’re talking about.”

The other looks fed up with him already, standing up to leave, so he stops him before he does. It wouldn’t do him any good to get on his bad side if he ends up being what he’s looking for.

“Dude, sit down. I’m just playin’ with your head. It’s too much fun. You’ll see when the next newbie...” He stops when he realises he’s wrong _“_ Guess there won’t be another Newbie, huh?”

After that the conversation flows, Thomas relaxes and sits down again. Minho asks him about the girl and even if he can see him stiffening when asked if she looks familiar, the other looks more tranquil in his presence. He’s going to have to get back to the whole chick situation at some point. Just not now. It feels nice to talk to someone new.

“So… did you find anything today?” He feels like he’s been slapped in the face at the question, suddenly aware of what brought him back so soon. “You know what, Greenie?” he says in an airy voice, “That’s usually the dumbest shuck-faced thing you could ask a runner. But not today”.

He lets the other freak out while he relaxes again, his eyes feel heavy. He needs more sleep and sadly, he probably isn’t going to get any of it while he’s preoccupied with his new discovery.

“Just wait till the fancy admiral gets back. I don’t like saying stuff twice. Plus, he might not want you to hear it anyway.”

The other is impatient about it but he’s not getting on his nerves as much anymore. He decides that he likes the shank. He gets it, Thomas is scared and confused but mostly curious about everything. There will be time for that later, or not. He tells him to shut it anyway, he can’t get too soft on him.

“Okay, I’ll shut up. Just make sure Alby lets me hear the news, too.” He definitely likes the shank, “Okay, Greenie. You da boss.”

When Alby gets back with a much needed cup of water he drinks it in one go. Talking didn’t help his thirst so he doesn’t bother breathing until there’s not one drop left.

Immediately after he’s asked what happened for the nth time that day. He gives Alby the chance to get rid of the greenie but since it doesn’t bother him he just goes for it.

“I found a dead one” and even to him that sounded cryptic.

“Huh?” he can basically see the question marks hanging above Thomas and Alby’s faces.

He smiles, “A dead Griever”.

 

* * *

 

Later, when he finds himself eating Frypan’s nasty casserole with an enthusiasm never seen before, he’s reminded of Ben. He knows they’re doing the right thing banishing him but he can’t help but feel agitated about it. He needs to do something about what happened today, not only the dead griever but also about the possibility of the Greenie being involved somehow.

“Are you going to tell me what happened today?” Newt finally asks him, he’s been sitting next to him since he saw him limping his way back to the Homestead.

“I found a dead Griever” he replies, keeping it simple.

“You what?” he looks at him like he grew two heads.

“What you heard”.

The other mutters curses under his breath, he looks as confused as he himself is. Newt is probably trying to come to terms with the idea too because he doesn’t say anything else. Minho hopes he can make sense out of something, anything, at some point. For now he just keeps repeating the path he took when he found the Griever on his head, over and over. He can’t really forget it because his memory works in ways that wouldn’t let him, but it also helps him destress just like any other repetitive task would. _Now would be a good time to go to the Map room._

“You have to admit he’s suspicious” he tells him before leaving, feels the need to do so as a friend.

“Who?”

He knows the other is just avoiding the conversation, which is weird for someone like Newt. He never acts clueless. “You know well who I’m talking about”

“Thomas has nothing to do with it” he says with a conviction that leaves no room for doubt, but he knows him better than that.

“You don’t know that for sure” he looks at him cautiously, testing his trust on him.

“You’re right, I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let these shanks kill him for something he can’t even remember”.

 _"Okay”_. The other turns his head to look at him in surprise, Minho doesn’t need to say it but he’s backing up Newt on this. He nods to himself and stands up, it feels like the right thing to do.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure that by now is pretty obvious i'm sticking to the book,  
> but! not everything is going to be the same  
> the fact that Newt and Minho are the one's reading each other's mind is going to change quite a lot of the original plot and the pining is going to start real soon
> 
> Hope everyone's having a great week!


	4. Trapped

_Things just keep getting better and better, huh?,_ he thinks dumbfounded. It’s not like he’s being melodramatic on purpose he just knows their chances of surviving are slim. With Alby hanging off his shoulder and his body getting weaker with every turn he takes on the maze, their time is running out. But he has to keep going, they can’t lose three gladers on the same day. Newt would kill him,  _not sure how that would work but he would find a way._

 

That morning had passed in a blur, after seeing so many of his friends die or go insane after being stung, he just felt numb when he saw Ben with a collar around his neck. As a Keeper he had to remain unaffected to the screams and the teary, snotty boy who was being sent to his death. His grasp around the banishment pole was steady but his eyes betrayed him, he couldn’t look at Ben in the eye. None of them could to be honest; that’s what makes it real. The awareness of the loss is not something they can afford. Minho avoids thinking about how things could have turned out differently, if a glader tries to kill another the rules and the punishment are set in stone. Even if Gally would agree with getting rid of the Greenie he wouldn’t try to _kill him_ so there’s nothing much that could be done about it _._ _Newt has a lot of work to do if he wants to keep that shank in one piece._ It occurs to him that he’s partially responsible about Thomas now, by association.

This whole _a friend’s friend is also your friend_ should be a kid’s thing, but it somehow still applies in the Glade.

 

He doesn’t have time to be distracted by these thoughts now, he reminds himself.  _Right, right, left, just one more turn._ They’re way behind in time, especially since today they were supposed to be back earlier since Alby and him were only going to go investigate the supposedly dead Griever. How wrong they were, Minho can’t help but feel responsible about it. He shouldn’t have brought him into the maze, but how could he know? It _looked dead_ the day before, it didn’t move at all until the other got too close.

 

It feels like a nightmare in the way he tries to move faster but instead every step he takes is slower than the previous one, his body feels heavy. _Just one more turn,_ he tries to remain hopeful but the moment they are taking the last corridor he hears that awful sound, the grinding of stone against stone, and the panic rises in his chest.

The first thing he sees on the other side of the closing doors is a boy, Thomas. He’s the only one who stayed this long to see if they managed to get back in time.

 

“They got him!” he yells at him, the others need to know what happened if they can’t make it. He needs his best friend to know what happened to them because otherwise the other is going to take the blame. It wouldn’t make sense, but he knows he would. Newt would think something idiotic like that he shouldn’t have given them permission to go alone, that they should’ve waited more time before going straight into danger or something equally stupid.

_“Newt, I’m sorry”._

 

 _“Minho?! You bloody bastard, where were you?”_ He can feel the alarm and relief in his voice, he feels guilty for giving him hope. He can see Newt’s silhouette approaching the Door in the distance a moment later, limping. It’s too late, they can’t make it through the corridor. Minho is basically dragging Alby at this point, his legs almost shaking with the effort to support them both.

 

He loses footing and Alby collapses by his side, he’s unconscious.

Somehow something unexpected happens at the last minute as the walls close on them, he can hear Newt’s desperation as he shouts:

“Don’t do it, Tommy! Don’t you bloody do it!”

The greenie starts running towards them, so fast it’s almost ridiculous. _What does this shank think he’s doing?!_ He curses as he crashes to the ground, the greenie making it just before the doors are closed for good.

 

 _“Minho? Minho, please. Don’t let him die”_ One of the best or worst parts of being able to communicate this way with Newt is that he can also feel the emotions that accompany the words by. This particular feeling is new, a sorrow so big that he can’t differentiate it from his own but that is also inherently different from anything he’s experienced before.

If he could send one message to the creators, the universe, right now it would be that by some miracle they make it, just so Newt doesn’t have to live with that feeling, and maybe, so he can share whatever he has going on with Thomas for a long time. He deserves that happiness after what he’s been through. Minho also wants something like that for himself, even if he’s too scared to admit it.

 

* * *

 

Thomas just made his biggest mistake ever since getting out of that shucking box and he doesn’t soften the blow for him by trying to comfort him with nice words. The shank has a death wish and he’s not only dying today, he’s making Newt mourn for him too. He wants to kick his ass but _does it even make a difference anymore?_ They’re as good as dead, what could Minho possibly do that could surpass _that._ He can vaguely hear Newt calling for them in his mind, it’s making the wretchedness of the situation even harder to deal with.

 

“I couldn’t just sit there and leave you guys out here” he manages to say, face red either from anger or embarrassment, Minho doesn’t know.

“And what good are you with us? Whatever, dude.” He replies, mad at the other for thinking that… for not thinking, really. “Break the number one rule, kill yourself, whatever”. He regrets the words as they make it out of his mouth but he can’t bring himself to care when he’s losing his life. It wasn’t the best, he knows, but he still had this _feeling_ that they could have made it out of the maze someday.

He sighs, there’s nothing to do now. Just run, try to avoid the grievers, best case scenario they die fast when the grievers finally get them.

Thomas starts asking questions and he doesn’t know why he bothers answering, but he does.

“The vines, can’t we climb them?” he looks so determined to do something, he doesn't know if he has a really strong will or is just that naive.

“I swear, Greenie, you must think we’re a bunch of idiots. You really think we’ve never had the ingenious thought of climbing the freaking walls?” He’s frustrated, he shouldn’t be taking it out on him but he’s way past this conversation.

He buries his face in clenched fists, terrified like never before. He’s whispering something, he just doesn’t know what anymore. He’s panicking, the other doesn’t get it. No one’s survived a night in the maze, ever.

Thomas just continues arguing with him until he hears _it._ The thing that makes every other kid in the Glade cry in fear and appears more often than what he would like to admit in his nightmares, _but_ _this is real_. His heart stops, he looks at Thomas and doesn’t understand how the greenie doesn’t look as horrified or alarmed as he is.

“We have to split out. It’s our only chance. Just keep moving. Don’t stop moving!” He screams at him and turns to run, barely understanding how he can move after all of today’s exertion.

He runs through the familiar walls of the maze, the same ones he sees everyday but that now, in the dark of night, are a whole new level of creepy. His heart is beating so fast it’s like it’s trying to get off his chest, his legs are numb. He can’t feel them, he can’t feel the regret of leaving Alby and Thomas behind with how deeply scared he is. Minho just runs and runs and doesn’t stop running, not even when his lungs feel like giving up.

 

All of his senses seem heightened with the adrenaline of knowing he’s going to die anytime now, none of the time he already spent here could prepare him for something like this. Through his mind passes all of the boy’s names who’ve been killed, who’ve died after getting trapped in this place. Minho says he can’t remember all of the guys when asked, but it’s a lie. How could he forget them? He remembers everything.

Finally, after what feels like hours of running and feeling like surrendering every time he hears that screeching sound come near him, it hits him. He’s still alive, he’s alive all by himself. He stops running and breathes deeply, letting his body fall and resting with his head against his knees, his mind is blank for the first time since leaving that morning.

 

He left them alone, both of them. He knows Alby can’t make it, but Thomas stayed behind with him. He’s loyal to a fault and that makes Minho feel even more ashamed. _I promised Newt I would be on his side,_ he can’t hear the other this far into the maze and he knows the other wouldn’t try to reach him at this point, Newt doesn’t expect to hear from him anymore. He probably thinks he’s already dead. He should be.

There might not have passed as many hours as he thinks, but it’s been a long time for him and his perception of time is usually really good. Even in times of distress; especially in time of distress. He’s suddenly reminded of the day he carried Newt all the way back to the Homestead. A whimper leaves his mouth, he can’t be this selfish. If he’s dying, he’s not dying as the coward he’s been in the past hours. With that in mind he turns back, hoping is not too late for Thomas.

He doesn’t believe in faith but there’s definitely _something,_ because it doesn’t take him more than fifteen minutes to find the other, even in a place known for being exceedingly big and so easy to get lost at. He doesn’t have time to be impressed at that because what he sees next has him staring at Thomas wide-eyed.

The shank is running towards a griever like its kid’s play, then stopping right in front of the thing. It happens really fast and for a moment he worries that the other is in shock, but at the last second he sneaks to the side and lets the creature collide into the wall, running even faster than before. _He dove it, he shucking dove it._ And that is exactly what gives him an idea that might give them a chance at surviving, he knows exactly where to go.

 

It catches him by surprise so he doesn’t even notices the other has already ran past him. He chases after Thomas, taking a shortcut since he knows both routes end up in the same place at this side of the maze, the walls haven’t changed yet. He sees him before him, running like his life depends on it, and normally he would encourage it but this is Minho he’s running away from; not a griever. He speeds up and grabs him by the wrist, pulling him back.

“What…” He looks back at him like a deer caught in the headlights. His face reflects openly all the emotions he’s going through. Fear, surprise and then confusion.

“Shut up and follow me!” he screams back, they don’t have the time to talk it out. He can hear that horrifying sound that is soon followed by the disgusting spider-like creatures.

 

He basically drags Thomas out of there, not giving him the chance to question it. It’s a huge relief that he can remember the path with so much precision because he can barely see  where they are stepping on with how somber the maze looks at this hour of the night, the vines making eerie shadows over them. He’s working on memory alone, which gives him the confidence for what he’s about to do.

 

He brings the other boy to what looks like an opening of the maze instead of endless walls, and he can see how the other jumps to a conclusion he too made a long time ago. It’s not the exit, he wishes he didn’t have to tell him that and disappoint him, but there’s no time.

Minho warns him against getting too close, someone falling off the Cliff on accident is something that has happened before and he’s not willing to see anyone else dying like that.

As he tries to explain to him what the plan is the other cuts him off, he already knows what Minho is thinking. _This shank is really something._

 

They steady their feet and face forward the other side, waiting for the imminent threat.

He tells Thomas to wait for his signal, they have to do this as synchronized as possible for it to work. That’s probably the hardest part, waiting as the Grievers line up and run towards them.

 

“Not yet… not yet” he murmurs, waiting for the precise moment the Griever decides to attack. “Now!” They run on opposite directions, successfully dodging the Griever and sending him to his death as it falls off the brink, followed closely by the second and third one, that go down almost the same way. The fourth one, though, manages to hold himself on the edge. They barely spare second, looking at each other before bracing forward to kick the thing into the abyss.

 

Minho can’t believe it, he really doesn’t have any coherent thought to explain what they just did. His hands are shaking and he doesn’t move an inch from where he’s standing, neither does Thomas. The other starts crying all of sudden and it ignites something on him. _He’s only human after all._ He understands what the other is feeling so he doesn’t say a thing, gives him a moment of privacy. He has a lot to analyse about what just happened but he can’t do it right away, the sun is rising. He inhales shakily, _we are alive._

 

* * *

 

“Gotta get Alby off the wall” says Thomas with a jolt, Minho just looks back at him perplexed. “I hung him on the wall with the vines, they were strong enough to be used as ropes” he explains. _Of course he did._

 

“You did what?” he huffs in amusement, at this point he’s not even surprised. He can’t help but feel pessimistic about it, but then again, if the two of them survived he should give the guy more credit. Alby could be alive, even if he can’t believe it himself.

 

As they walk back Thomas asks him about the serum, he thinks this is becoming an habit. Thomas asking questions that arise more and more and even more questions, and Minho acting like he’s annoyed but answering anyway.

 

Every one of their limbs hurt, so they don’t even bother trying to go faster. When they get close enough he can hear Newt again. He never thought he would be this glad to hear his voice again, but the feelings he’s getting from him are a mess. Newt is practically screaming at him, at Alby, asking what to do with them gone.

 

 _“And that buggin’ shank, how could he just do that? Why did I get so attached, when did that even happen?”_ Minho feels like he’s intruding something private so he doesn’t reach for him immediately, waits a moment longer.

_“Get it together, Newt. The rest of the gladers need you, it wouldn’t do anyone a bloody favor if you keep crying like a freaking baby”._

 

_“Please don’t panic, but… we’re back. Thomas and I, and we need help”._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to end this chapter at a completely different part  
> but then i thought it would be too much
> 
> so.., hope you like it anyway!
> 
> <3<3<3


	5. Aim high

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Please don’t panic, but… we’re back. Thomas and I, and we need help”.

 

After thinking _that_ everything turns into an absolute chaos in his mind, Newt’s thoughts are invading his without filter and is not that he imagined it would be any different after basically coming back from the death, but he feels a strong headache coming on.

Minho wonders when nonsense like this became the norm instead of a weird occurrence on his daily life, this changes things as they know it completely. All of sudden his days are full of movement in a way there’s never been before and he’s scared, but he’s also excited because something is finally different after all this time, it’s an unexpected turn. It also gives him just the push he needs to get back in the maze and to keep trying to find a way out. _Just… not now,_ he thinks as he feels a pang of pain in his leg. He is shaking uncontrollably now, after all of the previous night’s running and screaming and more running, he’s exhausted and all of it takes a toll on his body.

The urgency of getting Alby down to ground level becomes a second priority when they get to the opening of the Maze, just near the spot where Alby can be seen, and is not because Thomas and Minho don’t immediately try to climb the vines to get him down, but because Newt is already waiting for them with fury in his eyes and pressed lips that stop him for cursing them both back and forth, his expression makes him shiver. Newt’s more than just mad, he’s pissed.

It’s quite the sight, he’ll admit. Seeing Newt going straight after Thomas with a face full of rage, clenched fists as he finally reaches the two attenuated boys.

 

“What happened?” he asks the other boy directly once he’s near, but doesn’t stop walking until he corners Thomas against the wall.

He pities the other, sees how his eyes widen and glances at Minho for backup. _Nope, not getting any help from me. I still think you have a death wish, dude._

 

“How in the bloody…!” he starts, but Thomas interrupts him quickly. Maybe not the best idea but efficient since he diverts the attention to the fact that Alby could still be possibly alive, and the three of them look up the wall were the boy’s arms and legs can be seen wrapped around the vines. The second he mentions Alby is like all blood leaves Newt’s body.

“Is he.. alive?” he asks him and turns to look at Minho. _“Is he alive too?”_

“I don’t know. Was when I left him up there” Thomas replies, a little more relaxed now that he’s not about to get scolded.

Newt is in awe for a moment and he doesn’t manage to hide it very well, his eyes are shining while he looks at Thomas. If he wasn’t so tired he would smile at the oblivious boy, they suit each other well somehow.

He coughs to get their attention back to the present, Newt jumping on the spot before continuing speaking. He sends them both to the Med-jacks, or more accurately, orders them to go right away or else. Thomas looks like he wants to protest but Minho gives him a sign as subtle as he can manage, that is to say, he grabs him by the arm to take him out of the maze himself.

There’s no way that they can help Alby with shaking legs and close to dehydration, they have blood all over their clothes and he doesn’t know about the other but all of his muscles are _sore._ Even if he doesn’t know where the blood came from, it doesn’t surprise him all that much, they did some pretty shucked up stunts back there. “We need sleep. And bandages. _Now._ ” he tells him while looking straight ahead.

He does his best to ignore the gawking boys who are staring at them and whispering things among themselves, is not important now, and even if he jokes about being popular among these shanks, it always makes him a little uncomfortable to know they look up to him.

Now Thomas too, but that shank definitely deserves the praise. The downside about the Homestead being in the way to the Med-jacks is that he can hear some of the things that are being whispered, and not all of the gladers are impressed that the greenie just did the impossible, but are suspicious about him even more than before. He sighs, and for the rest of the walk glares at anyone who seems to be spreading rumors. He’s not going to let them judge the boy when they’ve never even put foot in the maze. _“How does he even manage to get into so much trouble? It’s been less than a week”._

 

_“Don’t be a hypocrite, you shank. But yeah, he’s getting on my nerves too.”_ He hears Newt answering and he smiles, but then he hears: _“Don’t believe for a second that I’m letting this go, you better tell me every detail of what happened”_ and he doesn’t feel like smiling all that much anymore. _This is going to be a long day._

Clint and Jeff are also full of questions when they see them, but they must look really bad because they don't ask him a thing. It’s something that he deeply appreciates because he doesn’t feel like talking, at all. He just wants to sleep, ideally for a whole day. That is a stupid wish since they are going need him for a Gathering as soon as he manages to stand up, but he can dream. Suddenly he doesn’t feel like an early-bird anymore, _I’m so tired._

The next thing he knows he’s waking up on a bed he doesn’t remember falling asleep at, staring at the ceiling like it’s going to give him the answers to all of his problems. The grogginess of the few hours of rest don’t disappear right away and Minho moves his limbs in a lethargic way before he finally finds the strength to sit up lazily. He’s wondering how he’s going to explain all of the things that happened yesterday. He knows he’s going to be as frank as possible but he doesn’t even know where to start, _I was a coward and the greenie saved both of our asses, even if it wasn’t his responsibility._ But, what is the most important thing to tell them? the dodging the grievers and sending them to their deaths? does he talk about the Cliff? about Alby and the running away from the dead-ish griever? Where does he start? Does he tell them about the vines thingy that Thomas did? It’s too much to process, the gladers are just going to go overwire if he tells them every detail.

He groans in annoyance, being unconscious is so much easier than being awake and having to talk to people, he already has a reputation of being bad with words. _“Are you finally awake shuck-face? I’ve got news”_ he hears Newt say carefully, as if expecting him to be asleep.

 

_“What kind of news?”_ he asks him back nonchalantly, not very keen on hearing about anything that needs his presence or leaving this bed for the time being.

 

_“Alby. He’s okay, we’re going to give him the serum now”. Oh, that kind of news._ He’s relieved, even when he remembers everything that entails. The changing is not so pleasant to watch, he can only imagine how bad it must be to go through. _“And you’re going to tell me what the shuck happened out there, now”._

He hums, trying to recall what he was thinking about just a moment ago. It feels like too much time has passed before he musters the courage to say something, _this is harder than I thought_.

_“There was a griever”_ he starts unsure, not wanting to get caught up in the words. _“There was a griever coming and I, ...I left them to die, Newt.”_ To admit it to another person makes it even more real, the guilt growing heavier, especially when he remembers the last words his bestfriend told him back then. It wasn’t what he wanted to tell him at all but he guesses that it is the most honest answer.

 

_“Go on”_ it’s a quiet reply, but also soothing in a way only Newt could manage to pull off. It feels like a weight off his shoulders, knowing that he won’t judge him for what he did.

 

_“I don’t know much about what Thomas did during those hours, not more than you anyway. He climbed the walls and tied Alby there, that shank is really creative.”_ He continues explaining how things were from his perspective, “ _I was running for a long time before I saw him again. He did this crazy thing, you’re not going to believe me”._

 

_“Yeah, right. Tommy doing something crazy, that’s what I’m not going to believe”_ He scoffs.

_“Don’t need to get all sarcastic on me, shuck-face. He did this...kind of like, wait-and-dive thingy? and the griever crashed into the wall, it was pretty shocking to see. That’s how we killed them, leading them to the Cliff and doing just that”_ he recalls. For some reason the other finds this amusing. Newt doesn’t ask much more after that, just a few details that he forgot to mention and the route they took to pull it off.

 

_“Anything else? what did you do after you freaking killed four grievers?”_ Newt asks him, still amused at his storytelling, apparently.

Minho is reminded right away about Thomas crying, about how he looked so much younger, less brave and more of a boy like he’s supposed to be. He guesses this is not something the other would like him to share, not even with Newt. Maybe _especially not_ with Newt. _“Nothing else, really. Now stop talking to me, my head still hurts”._

The other seems to get the message because he justs tells him at what hour the gathering is going to be the next day and reminds him to rest some more. Sadly he’s not the type who can get back to sleep or take naps, so this is it for him. He stretches his arms over his head and cracks his neck. It’s time to leave this bed and spread rumors that are actually accurate.

It’s a nice thing he knows exactly who to tell for everyone to know what happened by the end of the day, since he knows Newt won’t say a word to anyone. He’s never been particularly good at gossiping anyway.

The first one is Frypan, since everyone comes to talk to him during the day to ask him for something to eat mainly, but also to know about the latest news around the Glade. The second one is much less obvious, since he seems all innocent with his chubby cheeks. They might tease him a lot but Chuck is like the little brother that everyone loves and that most definitely can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life. He might be annoying but the gladers still take the time to listen to whatever he might be ranting about on a normal day. So there’s that.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning everything seems good, or at least better than what he expected it to be, but he almost changes his mind when he sees how tense Thomas sits in that deplorable chair in the middle of the room, facing the rest of the keepers with nervous eyes.

Before the meeting could even begin to address the conflict Gally was already stirring up the gathering by calling Thomas a rule breaker and trying to get his opinion known, not that he haven’t been already doing that since the day before. Newt quickly shuts him up, which is a feat on its own. Even if they all know that in order to make a resolution everyone has to talk when they are given the time it seems like an impossible thing to do with a room full of loud and hyped up boys.

Minho is a little distracted, thinking about an idea he had in the middle of the night, but still listens carefully to what is being said and to which side the other keepers are leaning to. This is important if he wants things to go his way.

Zart has always been a shy shank, he would probably rather be taking care of the crops all day than talking to people but it seems like he’s taken a liking to Thomas too, since he’d usually just avoid commenting altogether. Frypan on the other hand might have gone a little overboard with his enthusiasm about Thomas joining the council and teaching them “his ways”. Minho barely manages to hide his laughter by coughing into his hand, but he’s glad, really. _This is going to be easier than I expected._

By the time it’s Gally’s turn the only one who’s actually suggested punishment is Winston, and even he was saying that more out of spite than anything else, drunk fighting got him in the slammer once and he’s still a little bitter about it.

 

“I think he’s a spy from the people who put us here” And that was about the time he started zoning out. It’s not like he was going to miss anything crucial anyway. It’s true that whatever suspicions Gally has on Thomas might not be unfounded but _what difference does it make, really?_ Right now he’s like any other guy around here, no memories, no past, just a glimmering hope to get out of this place someday. And that’s it, that’s all that matters to him.

He stops listening in order to look around, it’s somehow funny to see the range of emotions going through everybody’s face. Especially Thomas, he looks like he’s about to jump out of his seat and punch Gally in the face. _I guess the feeling between those two is mutual._

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Newt pointing at him, indicating that it’s his turn to speak. He’s been waiting for this moment since before the Gathering even started. If people doesn’t think he likes drama they are extremely wrong. _It’s showtime._

“Go ahead, last but not least”.

“ _Thanks shank, I appreciate the introduction”._

Minho stands to make sure he’s got everyone’s attention, and as he sees the surprised expressions on their faces he feels accomplished. He keeps his voice steady, no hint of humor so they can’t see right through him.

“I was out there; I saw what this guy did. He stayed strong while I turned into a panty-wearin’ chicken” He says with conviction, this part is easy since he’s being completely honest. The next thing is going to be harder. “No babblin’ on and on like Gally. I want to say my recommendation and be done with it”.

 

“Good that. Tell us, then” Newt looks really serious, ready to write down whatever Minho says next.

  
“I nominate this shank to replace me as Keeper of the Runners” he looks at Thomas while he says this, trying with all his might no to smile or start laughing at the chaos he’s starting. _Gatherings have never been this fun before._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, i can't believe it's been a month since the last update  
> there's so much going on in my life all of sudden 
> 
> If you've read so far I hope you enjoyed it
> 
> lots of love for everyone <3  
> take care!


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